A gunman who opened fire and injured two kindergarten students at a school in California earlier this week may have targeted the institution as a response to the war in Gaza.
That is according to authorities from the Butte County Sheriff's Office, who said they found a note that stated the gunman, identified as 56-year-old Glenn Litton, sought to carry out "child executions" as part of a response to the United States "involvement with genocide and oppression of Palestinians along with the attacks toward Yemen."
While investigations are still ongoing, this could give light as to why the gunman targeted the Feather River School near Oroville, California, which has affiliations with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, as first reported by BBC News.
What Happened in the Shooting?
On Wednesday, Litton had visited a school administrator to discuss potentially enrolling a student at the institution, a meeting that police now say was part of his ruse to get access to the campus.
The meeting was cordial and Litton went on a tour around campus. However, he later walked towards a bathroom and opened fire. The bullets hit two male students, aged 5 and 6, outside a classroom.
Dispatchers said they began receiving 911 calls of an active shooter around 1:08 p.m. on campus and officers were promptly dispatched to the site. The first officer to arrive on the scene was a California Highway patroller who got to the scene around 1:10 p.m. He was directed by staff to an area where Litton's body was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, per Action News Now. A handgun was located near the body.
Authorities also identified the victims as Roman Mendez, 6, and Elias Wolfard, 5. Both were rushed to a trauma center and are in critical but stable condition.
What Happens Next?
Authorities are still investigating the circumstances that led up to the shooting. They have noted that the crime is an isolated incident. That said, they have sent out an alert to all law enforcement agencies across California state and advised them to be vigilant so that other schools affiliated with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church stay safe.
